Wolfgang Kubicki, the chairman of the FDP, has sharply criticized the recent demands made by Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) and Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan (SPD) for establishing new exceptions to the debt brake specifically for Ukraine aid. Kubicki told the Rheinische Post that “Friedrich Merz will no longer be able to control the spirits he summoned.”
He argued that following the existing exemptions granted to defense and security, the coalition’s push to remove Ukraine aid from the debt brake would open up more arbitrary loopholes that increase the risk of further government debt. The FDP chairman warned that a budget policy rooted purely in credit and debt financing-the type the CDU and SPD apparently find desirable-poses a security risk to Germany.
Kubicki stressed that Germany’s credibility in Europe, where budgetary rules are reportedly only being met through “sleight of hand,” as well as its standing in international financial markets, is now under threat. He concluded his strong critique by asserting, “This coalition proves more and more: It cannot manage money.”
